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M18 smoke grenade series
- Thread starter MINENAZ16
- Start date
Sebatian, I know that in the past 20 years or so, they changed the top of the grenades from being one flat surface from fuze boss to outer edge, to a raised boss approximately 2 inches in diameter in the center protruding up from a ring-shaped surface that attaches to the outer diameter edge.
I was sorting through some smoke grenade stuff tonight so it seemed like an appropriate time to arrange a photo.
Earliest on the left, a January, 1944 yellow M18 with a March, 1944 orange smoke next to it. Note the M200A1 fuzes on the WWII smoke grenades had a "beaver tail" area at the rear of the fuze body unique to the WWII smokes.
Next to the right are two M18s, dated 1952 and 1959 with post-war M201A1 fuzes. They still have the WWII color coded bodies with yellow banding and markings on a grey can. Most of the 1950s period M18s were packaged in steel cans with spam keys rather than the earlier and later fiber tubes.
Next is an early Vietnam era M18 green smoke with the 4 additional top exit ports and pale green color code on the body with black stencils.
The next three to the right are Vietnam through 1980s types with typical dark green painted bodies with various pale colors for markings. These still have M201A1 fuzes with a single smoke emission hole in the bottom.
Last is the new type of M18 body with the raised portion of the top plate and one-piece drawn cup lower body as HAZORD mentioned. Note the absence of a lower rolled body seam like all the other M18s.
Earliest on the left, a January, 1944 yellow M18 with a March, 1944 orange smoke next to it. Note the M200A1 fuzes on the WWII smoke grenades had a "beaver tail" area at the rear of the fuze body unique to the WWII smokes.
Next to the right are two M18s, dated 1952 and 1959 with post-war M201A1 fuzes. They still have the WWII color coded bodies with yellow banding and markings on a grey can. Most of the 1950s period M18s were packaged in steel cans with spam keys rather than the earlier and later fiber tubes.
Next is an early Vietnam era M18 green smoke with the 4 additional top exit ports and pale green color code on the body with black stencils.
The next three to the right are Vietnam through 1980s types with typical dark green painted bodies with various pale colors for markings. These still have M201A1 fuzes with a single smoke emission hole in the bottom.
Last is the new type of M18 body with the raised portion of the top plate and one-piece drawn cup lower body as HAZORD mentioned. Note the absence of a lower rolled body seam like all the other M18s.
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